What is the difference between git reset and git revert?

Both git reset and git revert let you undo changes, but they work in fundamentally different ways. Choosing the wrong one on a shared branch can cause problems for everyone on your team.

git reset — rewrite history

git reset moves the branch pointer backwards, effectively removing commits from the history.

# Remove the last commit; keep the changes staged
git reset --soft HEAD~1

# Remove the last commit; keep changes unstaged
git reset HEAD~1

# Remove the last commit; discard the changes entirely
git reset --hard HEAD~1

Because reset changes history, it creates a conflict for anyone else who already has those commits. If you push after a reset, you will need to force-push.

For a practical walkthrough, see how to undo your last commit.

git revert — create an undo commit

git revert creates a new commit that applies the inverse of a previous commit. The original commit stays in the history.

# Revert the most recent commit
git revert HEAD

# Revert a specific commit by hash
git revert a1b2c3d

Git opens your editor to confirm the commit message. You can push the result normally — no force-push needed. For a step-by-step example, see how to revert to a previous commit.

Comparison at a glance

When to use each

Use git reset when the commits are local and have not been pushed.

Use git revert when the commits are already on a shared or remote branch, or when you want a clear audit trail showing that a change was reversed.

You can use git log to review the commit history before deciding which approach to take.

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